The way we see the world is all a matter of perspective, of point of view. Take, for example, the Milwaukee Theatre. Whenever I go inside, I rue the loss of the Auditorium's arcaded interior. On a recent tour of the both the Milwaukee Theatre and the adjacent Arena -- which I may always call the Auditorium and MECCA Arena (sorry, I can't stop myself) -- I was surprised to see how much of the auditorium remains in place.

Constance and Ernst Scharpegge were German-born siblings who emigrated to the United States and won wide acclaim in the performance arts. She was an opera singer in New York City, but her brother settled in Milwaukee. When his virtuosity moved audiences to the heights of rapture, instead of "Bravo!" they screamed, "Twist der kopf out, Ernst!"

Compared to some of the high-profile, self-promoting boxing referees who came after him, Milt Rickun was a shrinking violet. Rickun, who died Dec. 7 at age 85, was properly inconspicuous between the ropes. He didn't preen or showboat, and let his professionalism speak for itself.

On April 19, 1926, an 18-year-old from the Philippines named Clever Sencio climbed into the ring at the Milwaukee Auditorium to face Bud Taylor, "The Blond Terror or Terre Haute." Sencio lost a brutal battle. A few hours later, he was found dead in his room at the Plankinton Hotel.